Mercatus
Mercatus is a Dutch housing association managing approximately 4,500 affordable rental units across Emmeloord and ten villages in Noordoostpolder. It serves general renters, 55-plus downsizers, and urgency applicants with regulated rents and community-integrated property services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersEmmeloord, Netherlands
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Mercatus does
Mercatus is a Dutch housing association (woningcorporatie), established in 1967 and headquartered in Emmeloord, Netherlands, that owns and manages approximately 4,500 residential rental units across Emmeloord and ten surrounding villages in the Noordoostpolder municipality. Its core offering is affordable rental housing, allocated through a self-serve online portal (woningzoekende website) that supports registration, property search, applications, repair reporting, rent payment, and contract management. The portfolio is supplemented by specialized housing programs for 55-plus downsizers, urgency applicants (social, medical, economic), Fokuswoning accessibility units, and ancillary offerings including garages, commercial spaces, and a small portfolio of homes for sale.
Revenue is generated primarily through monthly residential rental income, with rents governed by Dutch government regulation (WOZ-based valuation, point-based rental value system) and adjusted annually on July 1st; the 2026 maximum permitted increase is 4.1%, with income-dependent variations for some households. The organization employs 51–100 staff and operates with a go-to-market model that is essentially direct-to-consumer at the individual tenant level, supported by community-engagement programs such as the Samen Wonen Fonds, wijkteams, and a quarterly resident magazine. A notable forward-looking initiative is the biobased construction program, exemplified by the 2026 Marknesse development (12 units, designed with architectural partner ORGA) using 76% bio-based and circular raw materials and prefabricated timber elements with ecological features such as bat nesting chimneys.
Mercatus firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mercatus
- Legal name
- Mercatus
- Website
- https://mercatus.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Mercatus is a Dutch housing association managing approximately 4,500 affordable rental units across Emmeloord and ten villages in Noordoostpolder. It serves general renters, 55-plus downsizers, and urgency applicants with regulated rents and community-integrated property services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mercatus industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Housing / Affordable Rental Housing
- NAICS
- Facilities Support Services (561210)
- SIC
- Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Association Maintenance, Vendor & Capital Project Management (BPAJAHAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Mixed-Use Community Association Management (BPAJAHAF)
Keywords
Where Mercatus is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Emmeloord
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mercatus business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Residential Rental Income: Mercatus generates revenue through monthly rental payments from approximately 4,500 residential units. Rent adjustments occur annually on July 1st, governed by government regulations (maximum 4.1% increase in 2026, with income-dependent variations for some residents). Revenue is recurring and subscription-based in nature, dependent on occupancy rates and government rent policies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Rental Units - Government-regulated affordable housing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Mercatus product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mercatus is a Dutch housing association (woningcorporatie) that manages and rents approximately 4,500 residential properties across Emmeloord and ten surrounding villages in Noordoostpolder, Netherlands. The organization provides affordable rental housing to individuals and families, along with new construction projects, specialized housing for seniors (55-plus), urgency housing, repairs and maintenance services, and community integration programs. Mercatus emphasizes sustainable, biobased construction methods using circular raw materials and prefabricated timber elements.
Product overview
Mercatus is a Dutch housing association (woningcorporatie) offering a unified platform of residential housing services, not a multi-module SaaS product. The core offering consists of approximately 4,500 affordable rental homes in Emmeloord and the ten villages of Noordoostpolder, supplemented by new construction projects, specialized housing programs (55-plussers, urgency housing, Fokuswoning), and property services (repairs, maintenance, solar panels). Additional offerings include garages, commercial spaces, and homes for sale. The company also emphasizes sustainable, biobased construction practices as part of its environmental mission.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Woningaanbod (Rental Housing Portfolio) Core offering of approximately 4,500 affordable rental homes across Emmeloord and the ten villages of Noordoostpolder, rented to individuals and families seeking housing.
- Nieuwbouwprojecten (New Construction Projects) Development of new residential buildings, including sustainable and biobased construction projects such as The Marknesse carbon-negative development with 12 affordable rental units.
- Kleiner Wonen voor 55-plussers (Smaller Housing for 55+) Specialized rental housing units designed for residents aged 55 and older seeking smaller, more manageable living spaces within their existing community.
- Urgency Housing (Sociale, Medische en Economische Urgentie) Priority housing allocation program for residents facing urgent social, medical, or economic circumstances.
- Fokuswoning Specialized housing units designed for residents with specific accessibility or support needs.
- Garages en Bedrijfsruimte (Garages and Commercial Spaces) Additional property offerings including garage spaces and commercial rental units.
- Koopwoning (Homes for Sale) Residential properties available for purchase, complementing the rental housing portfolio.
- Reparaties en Onderhoud (Repairs and Maintenance) Property maintenance and repair services for tenants, including damage reporting, garden maintenance, renovations, and solar panel services.
- Duurzaam Bouwen / Biobased Bouwen (Sustainable Biobased Construction) Sustainable building practices utilizing biobased and circular raw materials, including prefabricated timber elements and climate-positive design approaches for new construction projects.
Quantifiable outcome
- Achieves 76% bio-based and circular raw materials in new construction (The Marknesse project)
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Mercatus
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Mercatus technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Mercatus partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ORGAcoreORGA is an architectural firm that designed The Marknesse carbon-negative residential development for Mercatus. The project comprises 12 affordable rental units in the Netherlands, featuring 76% bio-based and circular materials, prefabricated timber construction, and ecological design elements including bat nesting spaces.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Mercatus competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Eigen Haard: Amsterdam-based Dutch housing association managing ~46,000 rental homes across multiple regions. Provides social rental housing, maintenance, and new construction under the same regulatory regime as Mercatus; comparable operating model but in major metropolitan areas.
- Ymere: One of the largest Dutch housing associations, managing tens of thousands of social and mid-market rental homes primarily in the Amsterdam metropolitan area. Comparable to Mercatus as a designated woningcorporatie under the same regulatory regime, though significantly larger and operating in an urban rather than rural market.
- Rochdale: Amsterdam-based Dutch housing association managing social rental housing with explicit focus on sustainability, biobased construction, and tenant support programs. Among the most direct comparables to Mercatus on the biobased/sustainable housing dimension, though operating in a significantly larger urban market.
- Portaal: Major Dutch housing corporation operating social housing across Utrecht, Arnhem, Leiden, and Nijmegen regions. Directly comparable to Mercatus as a regulated woningcorporatie providing rental homes, supplementary services, and new construction — though at national scale rather than hyper-regional.
- Peabody: One of the UK's largest housing associations managing ~66,000 social and affordable homes. Operates an equivalent social housing model with regulated rents, maintenance services, and new development — providing international benchmark for how Dutch woningcorporaties like Mercatus can scale and evolve.
- Woonin: Dutch housing association managing around 40,000 homes across Arnhem, Ede, and surrounding municipalities. Operates under the same woningcorporatie regulatory framework as Mercatus, offering comparable social housing, maintenance services, and new development — though at larger scale and in different geographies.
- Mitros: Utrecht-area Dutch housing corporation managing tens of thousands of social and mid-market rental units. Operates under identical regulatory framework as Mercatus with similar service offerings (rentals, maintenance, urgentie housing, special-needs housing), though serving an urban rather than rural population.
- Woonbedrijf: Eindhoven-area Dutch housing association managing social and market-rate rental housing across the Brainport region. Comparable to Mercatus in operating model — woningcorporatie with rental portfolio, maintenance services, and new development — but serving a more industrial/urban geography.
Regional players
- De Woonplaats: Twente-region Dutch housing corporation managing social rental housing across eastern Netherlands municipalities. Operating model, regulatory status, and product mix closely mirror Mercatus as a mid-sized regional woningcorporatie serving a specific geographic territory.
Direct peers
- Woningstichting Den Helder: Mid-sized Dutch housing association serving a specific North Holland municipality with a comparable regional/small-city operating profile to Mercatus. Closest match in scale and rural/secondary-market positioning among Dutch peers.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mercatus social profiles
Digital presenceMercatus financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mercatus leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Mercatus funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mercatus M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mercatus
What does Mercatus do?
Mercatus is a Dutch housing association (woningcorporatie) that manages and rents approximately 4,500 residential properties across Emmeloord and ten surrounding villages in Noordoostpolder, Netherlands. The organization provides affordable rental housing to individuals and families, along with new construction projects, specialized housing for seniors (55-plus), urgency housing, repairs and maintenance services, and community integration programs. Mercatus emphasizes sustainable, biobased construction methods using circular raw materials and prefabricated timber elements.
Is Mercatus a public or private company?
Mercatus is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mercatus founded?
Mercatus was founded in 1967. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Mercatus based?
Mercatus is headquartered in Emmeloord, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Mercatus make money?
One revenue line is on record: residential Rental Income.
Who are Mercatus's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Eigen Haard, Ymere, Rochdale, Portaal, Peabody, Woonin, Mitros and Woonbedrijf. De Woonplaats is listed as a regional player. Woningstichting Den Helder is listed as a direct peer.
Does Mercatus have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mercatus.
What industry is Mercatus in?
Mercatus's product category is Social Housing / Affordable Rental Housing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAHAM, Association Maintenance, Vendor & Capital Project Management, with a secondary code of BPAJAHAF, Mixed-Use Community Association Management. Its NAICS code is 561210 and its SIC code is 7340.